Quadrivium (Noun)
Meaning
(Middle Ages) a higher division of the curriculum in a medieval university involving arithmetic and music and geometry and astronomy.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The quadrivium was considered the most advanced part of the liberal arts education in medieval Europe.
- In the quadrivium, students delved deeper into the mathematical and scientific foundations of reality.
- After completing the trivium, students would proceed to the quadrivium, exploring the interconnections between numbers, geometry, music, and the universe.
- The seven liberal arts were typically divided into two sections: the trivium and the quadrivium, with the latter being considered more challenging and prestigious.
- Thomas of Cantimpré, a learned cleric, dedicated his life to studying the four arts of the quadrivium and developing his philosophical understanding of the natural world.